Seattle Area Psychologist and Therapist

Family of Origin Issues

Each one of us was powerfully shaped by the family and the environment of our developing years. For several years, when you were deep in the process of trying to make sense of life on this planet, your family was much of what you saw. Your family provided the first group of people for you to try and be close to, and also the first and primary source of feedback for how to think about yourself. These two aspects of you, how you understand human intimacy, and how you understand yourself, are virtually impossible to work on without looking at your family of origin.

The good news is that looking at your development in your family of origin often gives a person a much greater sense of self-understanding and self-acceptance. Exploring these things is a powerful way to change the way your life works now, especially by understanding and changing some of the habits and patterns that you may act out without realizing it.